That sounds more like a lack of interest combined with unintuitive names/abstractions than anything. Try drawing diagrams to visualize the flow and structure of the code.
Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.
221–230 of 534 posts
Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.
#222Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.
#22338 here, I've definitely noticed a bit of a decline in overall power a year ago.
Have you looked into what you're eating and doing for exercise? You definitely cant power through brainfog with caffeine anymore.
try the following to get yourself back on track 1. first meal of the day should be a filet of fatty fish like salmon with skin. if you can't afford this, use a high quality fish oil pill like nordic naturals. keep it refrigerated. omega3 fatty acids are prone to oxidation at roon temperature and there are no official stadards for it in america)
2. limit carbs to whole foods like sweet potatoes, yucca, potatos
3. cut out all sugar outside of whole unprocessed fruit. (juice doesn't count)
4. have a side of greens with each meal
5. start lifting weights, (triggers release of HGH)
6. choose one day per week to do a 24 hour fast.
after 2 weeks, you'll start to feel your brain come back
Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.
#224Here is a concrete thing to try. Maybe it won't be useful, but it's helped me in the past. Get a blank sheet of paper and a writing utensil. Not a text editor. Start at the top of your call stack and start making a diagram that resembles a directory tree: application_code_function(string arg) library_function() std_lib_func() Use arrows, add notes on the side. Whatever helps. Try to get one API call stack. I don't do…
I came here to say essentially the same thing. It seems like this helps students learn programming, and, in some sense, we're all students of whatever new piece of code we're working with today. Some teachers have worked out a fairly comprehensive diagramming scheme for code [0], if you want to take it that far.
[0] "Memory Diagrams: A Consistent Approach Across Concepts and Languages", Toby Dragon and Paul E. Dickson
Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.
#225Earlier quoted context omitted.
It turns out the same dynamic is at play with songwriting - your standards get higher, what seemed novel when you were 20 now seems boring. I’m sure it is the same across disciplines. The irony is, it kills creativity.
Does it though? I often find it's fun to find new and novel ways to create things that are both clear and efficient. Creative problem solving can be leveraged anytime.
I think the problem is you start saying "no" to more things (literally and metaphorically) before you've even worked the idea or given it a shot. This is purely supposition.
Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.
#226You sound like you are very tired. Your mental capacity will take a hit, regardless of age. Try to address that by taking some vacations (if you can), and getting some exercise.
Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.
#227Could be burnout, could be ME/CFS, could be Long Covid… could be something else. Have you noticed a limited working memory or loss of enthusiasm? You might notice things like forgetting why you walked into a room, or abandoning hobbies and activities you no longer enjoy. I have ME/CFS from hEDS (far more common than people think, especially here on HN, and double especially those here on HN with ADHD) so I ended up t…
These treatments are legally unavailable to many Americans, due to bullshit moral panics.
They are Rx in the US which makes them harder to get. I’ve not gone down that path so I don’t know how hard, but I’ve read of many Americans using them so it is at least not impossible.
I do think they should be OTC. When I faced the roadblock of not being able to get the medicine I wanted I did go to black market and would do it again in a heartbeat.
Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.
#22847 years old here, programming daily. I think what we have to deal with is not just cognitive decline, but more importantly cognitive overload. People in their 40s usually juggle lots of responsibilities, especially if they have a family. At this age you normally also have earned some money, and if you start buying things like a summer house or an apartment for renting out, those things come with maintenance tasks. T…
> if you start buying things like a summer house or an apartment for renting out, those things come with maintenance tasks. This can accumulate quickly.
This is a really good point. I feel like I'm dealing with way more responsibilities now that I have a house and a family, I'm no longer the center of my own universe.
Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.
#229Earlier quoted context omitted.
I’ve had a very successful similar experience with regard to excercise.
Hmm. Do you think we will ever get a pill to replace exercise?
Probably not to replace excercise, although who can say with gene editing.
Reducing, stopping, counteracting mental decline is a holy grail in medicine. I think there has been some progress here.
And on the general mental acuity note there are things like modafinil.
The best things known work are do what you need to do to get good sleep, and find some way to exercise routinely.
Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.
#230Earlier quoted context omitted.
It could also be attention span problems caused by social media.
This is totally killing every focus there is for me. My IQ drops to at least 50% when there is a smartphone close by. Eliminating all source of distraction that I can, is essential to get anything done.
Smartphones don't just reduce your IQ; if you use one while walking, it removes all your situational awareness. I constantly have to step out of the way of some zombie walking along the footway, oblivious to the existence of other pedestrians.
My smartphone stays at home, on permanent charge (the battery life is severely depleted). I use it only to collect SMS 2FA codes from those organizations that assume that everyone has a smartphone. We call them "mobile phones", but that doesn't mean you have to move if you're using one.
That zombie effect applies equally if you're behind the wheel of a vehicle. Please don't ever do that. Of all tasks, driving is the task that requires the greatest situational awareness.